FARMINGTON — Xiaofang Shi Clark has always liked flowers, has learned to grow and sell them and now is bringing her experiences to those who are seeking freshly cut arrangements. Xiaofang Shi Clark shows off one of the strawflowers blooming Tuesday, July 16, in her flower garden on Mosher Hill Road in Farmington. With the stunning view seen behind her she hopes one day to have a cut your own flower operation with picnic tables there.

Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser Clark has named her business Virginia’s Garden after her daughter, she told The Franklin Journal on Tuesday, July 16. She currently sells bouquets, single stems and other floral selections from her home at 155 Middle Street and can sometimes be found at either the Friday or Saturday Farmington farmers markets. Clark raises some of her flowers at her Mosher Hill Road location.

Eventually she hopes to expand and offer cut your own flowers there. Among the flowers growing now are ageratum, asters, carnations, cosmos, dahlias, gladiolas, snapdragons and sunflowers. She also raises flowers at her in-laws.

One which looks similar to roses – without the thorns and which has a longer shelf life – is lisianthus. Clark said her family first moved from Arizona to Hampden where they had 2.3 acres of land near Route 1A, a tourist area.

She grew vegetables and a lot of flowers there. There is a farm stand in Hampden open four times a week, Clark said. It is family owned, has been there for many years, she noted.

�.